Join us for dinner and learn something new! Get expert insight into the prototyping process for new entrepreneurs and inventors.

This program is for:

• Individuals that have an idea for a new product, but aren’t sure how to turn it into a business.

• Researchers and professionals who’ve developed new tech in a lab or at work, and see an opportunity for commercialization

• New entrepreneurs who sell unique products as a hobby, and want to improve their product and grow sales

• Anyone who wants to learn the basics of starting a product-based business

We’ll cover:

• The typical lifecycle of a new hardware product business

• Examples of prototyping for customer discovery

• What tools & resources modern hardware engineers are using

• Some real-life examples of how doing early market research with basic prototypes changed the course of a product

• Q&A - Read our presenter bios, and bring them your questions!

Dan Falkenstrom is the Operations Director at Tech Valley Center of Gravity, the Capital Region's premier makerspace & incubator. Dan oversees the day-to-day operations of the organization, ensuring that hobbyists, entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses have the resources, support, and collaborative environment they need to build and thrive. He has a background in manufacturing, with prior engineering positions at Pratt & Whitney and GE.

Troy Fischer is a veteran toy inventor of 25 years with hundreds of products under his belt. After 14 years with the Toy Biz division of Marvel Entertainment, he established Fishco Innovation in 2007. Fishco has developed mechanical and optical innovations in toy design for Hasbro, Fisher-Price, Spin Master, and Jakks Pacific.

Dinner: Chicken Parm buffet with non-alcoholic beverages.